Mariachi Cielo Nuevo – Youth Mariachi Profile

By Claudia Zuñiga, Violinist for the Beach Cities Symphony Orchestra in Redondo Beach, California and director of the Mariachi Cielo Nuevo from Middleton Street Elementary School in Huntington Park, California.

Mariachi Cielo Nuevo members, ages 8-12, are proud to be among the most accomplished musicians in the
Los Angeles Unified School District. All members of this mariachi group has been selected to participate in
the District-wide Honor Orchestra and are recipients of music scholarships from the Los Angeles County
Elementary Schools Music Association. The group is made up of twenty outstanding musicians from Middleton’s extensive music program of 200 students.

They have performed annually at the Ford Amphitheatre, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mariachi Cielo Nuevo with director, Claudia Zuñiga as well as other venues throughout the United States.

They attend annual mariachi music workshops in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona. In addition to their passion for expanding and sharing their musical heritage, these first generation California-born musicians are also scholars who excel in their academic achievement. Most members of the group have scored in the advanced category in the California Standards Test. The members of Mariachi Cielo Nuevo are the epitome of dedicated practice and determination to their music and academic studies. They constantly seek new challenges and strive to succeed in all their endeavors.

Ms. Zuñiga received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Master of Arts in Education from California State University, Northridge. She has been the instrumental music director of Mariachi Cielo Nuevo for seven years and the teacher of instrumental music of two hundred students at Middleton Street School.

Mariachi Cielo Nuevo has been invited to perform with Beach Cities Symphony as they celebrate their 60th Season. They will be performing La Boda de Luis Alonzo by composer Jeronimo Jimenez and performing with Beach Cities Symphony; Huapango de Moncayo by Jose Pablo Moncayo. This is the first school-based ensemble that has ever been invited to collaborate with Beach Cities Symphony. The repertoire was chosen by Ms. Zuniga a few months ago. It has been the ensemble’s biggest musical challenge yet; nevertheless the children are excited and ready for this performance.

The mariachi is part of my life, i feel that i can’t live without it. I hope that the mariachi program will have to never ever end. My teacher Ms. Zuñiga is the best teacher ever. I love her and she makes me feel that I could never stop learning the real meaning of the notes. I want to thank my music friends and my music teacher!!!

I love this mariachi and my friends in it as well. I have been a part of this mariachi for a while and they are the best friends I have ever had. They are the funniest and the most talented. I also want to say that I love Ms.Zuniga because she is the best music teacher in the whole world and I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her. I hope Mariachi Cielo Nuevo never ends because I always want to be with my great friends and my awsome music teacher Ms.Zuniga.

I just want to say that Mariachi Cielo Nuevo is the best youth group ever! Thanks to my music teacher Ms.Zuniga, I have learned so much about music. Also my friends have been good supporters ever since I joined the group. Music expresses my feeling like when Im sad or happy. So thank you Ms.Zuniga and friends.

Im sister of Salma, and i just wanted to say that dreams can come true! and my sisters dream did come true! like Rodri says “Music makes kids Smart” and yeah its true because not only the group studies music they also focus on the studies. so my point is KEEP BELIVEING!! NEVER GIVE UP!!

i just want to say that now that a year has passed the Mariachi is getting smaller but i think getting more and more WONDERFUL!! but now that we also have the big group which is the High School Kids some of them are headed off to College!! well my point is I LOVE MARIACHI!!